Bard College
OP-20: Hazardous Waste Management

The Art Department and the Science Department are charged for disposal of their hazardous and non-regulated wastes and have worked to reduce the amounts generated.

We are a regulated Small Quantity Generator (SQG) and dispose of our hazardous waste two times each year through a manifested process. Our hazardous waste program also handles non-regulated chemical waste. We recycle materials like fluorescent light bulbs and electronics about two times per year.

We have not had reportable releases of hazardous materials during the last three years.

The science departments have implemented sharing chemicals between departments. The chemical inventory database is accessible by biology, chemistry, physics and psychology. They do this for some chemicals to keep inventory down and to use up older chemicals. There is an online ordering system that faculty can access to see what we have in stock before ordering new chemicals.

Electronic materials go to our Universal Waste Collection area at Bard's Recycle Yard and are sorted and stored before being picked up for refurbishment or recycling by a third party company. The process is overseen by the Sustainability office and staffed by the Environmental Resources Department.

Bard's electronic waste recycler, EWASTE+, is certified Responsible Recycling (R2), as well as RIOS and NAID certified.
R2/RIOS™ is a combination of the Responsible Recycling (R2) Practices and the Recycling Industry Operating Standard™ (RIOS™). R2 was developed by a broad-based cooperative of electronics recycling stakeholders that included the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), state governments, manufacturers, recyclers, trade groups and non-governmental organizations. RIOS™ is the sole program on the market that combines quality, environmental, health and safety requirements in a single management system.

R2 includes a set of guidelines for use in accredited certification programs to assess electronics recyclers’ environmental, worker health and safety, and security practices. In addition the voluntary R2 program includes general principles and specific practices for recycling refurbishing, disassembling, or reclaiming used or end-of-life electronics equipment.

As developed and prescribed by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), RIOS is an integrated management system that has been developed to establish a framework within which the recycling industry can manage and improve upon its commitment to quality, environment, and health & safety. Implementation of the RIOS management system helps recyclers gain new insights into how they operate, which in turn enables quicker problem solving and the ability to be proactive rather than reactive. Overall, RIOS will result in a better-run company.

The R2/RIOS™ certification must be renewed annually through an independent and accredited third-party certifying body and is solely for electronics recyclers to demonstrate to customers that electronics equipment is being recycled with the highest standards for environmental protection, worker health and safety, data privacy, and facility security.